Washing question

A

Alessia

New member
I just got a new car from my bf and was wondering how often can I wash it?

Meaning, bird droppings, if it rains and leaves or other things fall on top and when it all dries it obviously leaves some stain or markings.



I want to try and do my best to keep it relatively clean, so just curious what's safe to do and what's considered overkill?

Is once a week washing fine? Or twice if needed?

I hope Meguiars Soft Gel wash is fine, I got a kit with the car from.

Thank you.
 
Once or twice a week is fine, as long as you are using careful wash techniques. Believe it or not, much of the damage caused the the average car's paint is from automated car washes or improper hand washing techniques.



Go to the "How To" link at the top of this page to bring you the learning library. The Guide To Detailing has a car washing section, and if you go to Detailing Articles and Videos, you can scroll down to "Accumulator's Non-Marring Wash Technique" which I'm sure will give you a headache.



Basically, you want to use wash media that won't marr the paint and won't hold dirt, you want to use a wash with good lubricity, and you want to keep from grinding the dirt on the car into the paint.
 
Agree with Setec's comments above and also want to add that you should get a good sealant and LSP (last step product) on the car. This will provide you with added protection between washings. And don't forget to clay to start with a clean slate. This is usually done after washing and is very user friendly process, especially with the OTC clay bars (Meguiars/Mothers). The washing process may not remove all the contaminants, so claying is recommended.



Welcome to Autopia...:2thumbs:
 
Welcome to the board! :) My suggestion to you is to start off slow and as you read and learn new things, gradually increase your detailing abilities. As Setec stated above, build a solid foundation first. Learn how to wash your car properly and safely. I'll just add one more thing to the above mentioned advice, when drying your car do not use regular bath towels or as I've seen some do around my city, paper towels. This is a sure way to mar the finish of your car and induce some rather ugly swirls, scratches, etc. If you scroll to the bottom section of the main forum page there you will see various vendors from which you can order great micro-fiber products.



A word or waring to you, once you start you'll never want to finish!! I've only been here a short while but in that time I've become obsessed with detailing. lol.



Have fun and keep us posted.
 
Great information and thanks for the replies, already off to a good start.

Need buckets and more micro-fibre towels lol.



Should I get rid of this meguiars soft gel I have and get another cleaner?

Seems so cheap in price and I'm thinking maybe it's not so great?
 
Hi The soft gel wash from Meguiars should be fine to use, although I prefer Gold Class or NXT wash from the same company.
 
Well since i have a new bottle sitting here, I suppose I'll use it.

Then I'll go with the stuff you guys recommended. You guys made me feel like I can actually do this myself and not worry about it so much. You rock. :thx



I have some bird stuff on my car and tree sap that's been sitting for days, so I'm a little worried about scratching the paint when trying to remove it. (since it's a few weeks old the car)

A friend of mine suggested I softened the car up with some warmish water, then rinse and then wash. Good idea?
 
Ouch! You can't let that bird stuff sit on the paint, especially in this warm weather. Yes, it's a good idea to wet it down first to soften it up. But you need to carry a bird bomb kit in your car or at least take it off as soon as you get home or see it. A quick detailer that you can get OTC (like Meguiar's in the burgundy bottle) is good for this. Spray it and let it soften and gently wipe it away. You may need to do more than one application to soften it and remove, and be gentle because sometimes it's gritty. Bird bombs can almost instantly etch your paint (or sometimes you can let them sit for weeks and they do nothing, depends on the bird, what he ate, and the weather, hot sun accelerates the etching, usually), so it's best to get them off as soon as you can. Also be vigilant for the smaller dark spots of bird waste that sometimes don't show up as well as the large white ones; those can be just as deadly.
 
If the bird crap has only been there a day or two you should be able to remove most of it with a stream of water. But if it's stubborn you can pre-soak it by saturating a clean mf with your wash solution and laying it over the crap for a minute or two. Then it should come right off.
 
Oh great. :( It's been there for a few days for sure.

I have Meguiars Quik Detailer, is that what you're talking about?

Thank you for the quick reply guys.
 
Back to report, they weren't that serious, but they were still there.

I almost got carried away by spraying every little stain or whatever, but I thought I'd save that for the wash sometime this week. lol



What would you guys recommend I keep in the car as a "bird bomb" kit?
 
Alessia said:
Back to report, they weren't that serious, but they were still there.

I almost got carried away by spraying every little stain or whatever, but I thought I'd save that for the wash sometime this week. lol



What would you guys recommend I keep in the car as a "bird bomb" kit?
Click to expand...





I keep a bottle of Adams Detail Spray and some microfiber cloths in my emergency kit.
 
Alessia said:
Back to report, they weren't that serious, but they were still there.

I almost got carried away by spraying every little stain or whatever, but I thought I'd save that for the wash sometime this week. lol



What would you guys recommend I keep in the car as a "bird bomb" kit?
Click to expand...



QD'ing a dirty car is usually trouble, so you were wise to just do the bird stuff. Some QD and some not-so-great MF's are the usual kit.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
..[for the] the bird stuff, Some QD and some not-so-great MF's are the usual kit.
Click to expand...



I'd rather use some *VERY* good, very plush MFs for that to minimize the chance of marring. Bird bombs can be *highly* abrasive so the more gentle the materials, and technique, the better IMO.
 
Yeah, I usually use a pretty good MF, but in this case I kind of figured we'd be lucky to get away from paper towels. My friend Jr. always uses grunge MF's because she grossed out by the bird stuff and can't bring herself to use anything good...it's bad enough she's got to put away the towel in her trunk with stuff on it.
 
I don't want to seem like a dumb nag here, but I have one other question about sap.



My trunk is obviously covered with something sticky and rough on the surface.

What I want to know is how do I wash it off without marring or scratching the paint.

should I use warm water and let it sit for a bit to soften it up?:thx
 
First you should wash at least that area to get any grit off. Then try some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) on a soft cloth. Or you can try some bug and tar remover from the auto parts store. You have to be very gentle and let the solvent do the work. If you're at the auto store, you might try some clay on it, but if it's still sticky one of the solvent approaches is best IMO.
 
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